Nonwoven fabric containing crimped fibers is known. Nonwoven fabric of this type is used as, for example, a topsheet of an absorbent article or, when designed to have extensibility, as a pair of wings of an absorbent article. Included in known nonwoven fabrics containing crimped fibers is one that exhibits sufficient recovery from extension in a planar direction and sufficient deformability when compressed in its thickness direction and has a relatively small density and breathability as a whole.
For instance, commonly assigned Japanese patent application JP-A-2002-187228 discloses a nonwoven fabric comprising a first layer and an adjoining second layer made of a material exhibiting elastomeric behavior, preferably crimped fibers. The first and second layers are partly joined at joints arranged in a prescribed pattern. The first layer has a three-dimensional configuration between the joints. The nonwoven fabric as a whole exhibits elastomeric behavior and breathability.
Commonly assigned Japanese patent application JP-A-2004-33236 proposes an absorbent article having a liquid permeable nonwoven fabric between a topsheet and an absorbent member. The nonwoven fabric has a first layer on the absorbent member side and a second layer on the topsheet side that are joined together. The first layer contains helically crimped fibers, and the fibers constituting the first layer are fusion bonded to each other to form a network structure. The fibers of the second layer are taken into the helices of the helically crimped fibers of the first layer so that the capillarity of the nonwoven fabric increases from the second layer toward the first layer.
The above-mentioned nonwoven fabrics exhibit the performance properties required of an absorbent article topsheet, i.e., capillarity, liquid distributing ability, and liquid permeability. The nonwoven fabric disclosed in JP-A-2002-187228 supra additionally exhibits extensibility required of wings or like members of an absorbent article. There still is a demand on the market for an absorbent article, such as a sanitary napkin, that provides more wearing comfort and more manageability in use. An absorbent article that will meet the market needs has been developed extensively. Along this line, a nonwoven fabric has been demanded that provides a good fit and has higher capillarity, liquid distributing ability and liquid permeability so that, when used as a topsheet, a discharged body fluid may quickly migrate to the absorbent member without staying on the surface of the topsheet. Nonwoven fabric for use as, e.g., wings of an absorbent article has been required to have enough extensibility/contractibility to flexibly follow the wearer's bodily movement.